The prior art contains hand held masking machines which apply adhesive tape and paper to a surface being masked, and these machines employ an applicator roller which frictionally dispenses the tape and paper from the machine as the said roller presses the paper onto the surface to be masked. Accordingly, prior art machines are substantially more complicated than required for efficient masking operations and such machines require the application of a substantial amount of manual force in the operation thereof. Additionally, prior art machines have been relatively bulky and heavy and have also required pressure rollers for pressing the adhesive tape securely into contact with the masking paper as it is dispensed from a roll on the machine. Additionally, various prior art machines have required complicated procedures to thread the paper and the tape through the machine, such as to be in a position for application of the tape and paper to form a mask adjacent to an area to be painted.